Background: As future registered nurses, undergraduate students play a vital role in integrated care for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; hence, there is a need to examine factors that can increase their willingness to care for persons with such conditions.
Objective: This study examined the relationship among nursing professional commitment, empathy, and willingness to care for people living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among undergraduate student nurses, and the mediating role of empathy in this relationship.
Design: Quantitative, cross-sectional design.
Settings: Nursing schools from five provinces of China, including Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Henan, and Hebei.
Participants: A total of 747 undergraduate student nurses were recruited via cluster sampling.
Methods: Online survey was used to collect data. Nursing Willingness Questionnaire, Professional Commitment Scale, and Jefferson Scale of Empathy were the scales used to measure the variables. Structural equation modeling was used to determine significant relationships.
Results: Respondents' professional commitment and empathy demonstrated moderate positive associations with willingness to care. Empathy demonstrated a 21 % mediating effect on the effect of professional commitment and willingness to care (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Findings highlight the enabling role of professional commitment and empathy in improving undergraduate student nurses' willingness to care for persons living with human deficiency virus. Nurse educators can help improve the impact of students' professional commitment on their willingness by using educational strategies that enhance their empathy.
Keywords: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Cross-sectional studies; Empathy; Human immunodeficiency virus; Nurse education; Student nurses.
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